Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial killer and cannibal, had a brief stint in the military before his horrific crimes were discovered. Dahmer joined the U.S. Army in 1979, hoping to make a career out of it. However, his service was short-lived, as he was discharged from the Army in 1981. In this article, we explore how Dahmer got kicked out of the Army and the reasons behind his discharge.
Dahmer’s Early Military Career
Jeffrey Dahmer enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1979, just two years after graduating from high school. He was stationed at Baumholder, West Germany, where he served as a medical specialist. At the time, Dahmer was a model soldier, receiving good marks from his superiors and showing great promise for the future. However, it soon became clear that Dahmer was struggling with psychological issues, including depression and alcoholism.
Reasons for His Discharge
The first reason for Dahmer’s discharge from the Army was his alcoholism. Dahmer had developed a drinking problem shortly after enlisting and was drinking excessively while on base. He was reprimanded multiple times for his drinking, but it didn’t stop him from continuing his habits. Eventually, his superiors had no choice but to discharge him due to his alcohol abuse.
The second reason for Dahmer’s discharge was his deteriorating mental health. While Dahmer had been able to hide his psychological issues when he first enlisted, his mental health had begun to decline while he was in the Army. He was eventually diagnosed with a personality disorder and discharged on medical grounds.
The final reason for Dahmer’s discharge was his failure to meet the Army’s standards. Dahmer had been repeatedly reprimanded for his drinking and other behavioral issues, and he had failed to meet the Army’s expectations. As a result, he was discharged for failure to meet Army standards.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s military career was short-lived, as he was discharged from the Army in 1981. While Dahmer had initially shown great promise as a soldier, his alcoholism and mental health issues eventually led to his discharge. He was discharged for alcohol abuse, mental health issues, and failure to meet Army standards.